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This is an ad for o.b tampons, hopefully known as well abroad as it is here so it didn't need a packshot. The resolution is a bit low I'm afraid and the white space around it is just there for browser friendly viewing. ( and she's getting out btw )
Kris.

Its clever, but I'm not convinced the approach is ideal. And im sure that the art direction isnt.

IF you could convince OB that an empty pool is a valid way to show the absorbency of their product, you likely want to make it very tongue in cheek and mightily humorous. The feel of this ad is that of a new Mercedes Benz s-class vehicle.

Every detail of your ad communicates a message. Some of the details are used to open up pathways to deliver your product message. So that said, the idea of super freakin absorbent is clever, you need to reconsider your art direction and deliver it in a way thats conducive to its own silly proposition.
Cheers
weighter

Excellent concept! I like the stark look of the ad. Not sure if it's right for the product, but I like it. Glad to see such work in the Exhibition section. The only thing is the headline... maybe you can work on it a bit more. Simplify the art direction.

I agree on the art direction part, as a student I can do a lot in photoshop and shoot my own photo's. But that's about it, this is a case where I just wanted to communicate the idea, and didn't have the funds to get someone to empty a pool for me or photoshop a full pool empty realistically. The closest I had was this great photograph from a very good photographer of an empty pool, the girl came later, however in a very desaturated mercedes like way. I then took the decision to leave that in the art direction and build on that. Not the way I would've liked it to be, but as it is, I didn't have much of a choice. ( After browsing for about a month for the right picture I'd easily pay for and failed at shooting on location on my own ). I was willing to go this direction with O.B. as it didn't seem that unnatural for them. It's also more to have it in my portfolio to show a little edgy thinking as my school time's almost up. Thanks for all the comments though and I'm honored Ivan.

I understand what you're staying, however I would say in response that poorly crafted artwork pales in comparison to poorly thought out art direction.

its a beautiful photo, but not for this strategy at all. it feels like you're stealing astyle and throwing it onto an ad. it inst an extension of the brand or message whatsoever and it really falls short in a major way.

Consider if you had used an empty pool with someone looking befuddled on the diving board and a lady exiting quietly far left... you take the audience into left field and then they get the idea through its absurd payoff. They laugh, you win.

the lady in your composition almost seems depressed, when she feels that way to the viewer then we look for logical and sensical reasonings behind them. The atmosphere isnt conducive to an outright punchline which is exactly what your idea is... a funny one.

Take the time to fix this, its a good book piece... when it isnt murdered by your current art direction. Sorry to sound blunt here, but its a point worth making well. Ivan's comments were a bit confusing, he liked teh idea... he liked the artwork, but not together... that does not make a good ad. Mercedes != O.B.

I agree that a feminine touch would be a more logical approach, however:

-Consider if you had used an empty pool with someone looking befuddled on the diving board and a lady exiting quietly far left... you take the audience into left field and then they get the idea through its absurd payoff. They laugh, you win.-

The sketch I drew of it, was exactly like my execution ( and this is how I want the layout and placement to be ) and what you describe is simply another ad, not the one I came up with.

-the lady in your composition almost seems depressed, when she feels that way to the viewer then we look for logical and sensical reasonings behind them. The atmosphere isnt conducive to an outright punchline which is exactly what your idea is... a funny one.-

It's all about the absurdity of the situation, I don't think that the viewer would look for logical and sensical reasonings behind it. That's just overanalyzing. It's what it is, just an unrealistic absurd hyperbole. I agree on some parts, but I largely stand for what I made. Thanks for commenting though,

Mood isnt over analyzing... its art direction. Its why comedies have different soundtracks than dramas...

If you approach me with a certain mood, I am going to reach around for your idea within that context. Its a good idea... poorly executed. But as someone said, the idea has been done before... so I guess youre left with poorly executed to add to your book.

Weighter and adabortion. Having a different opinion doesn't seem to be appreciated very much by the two of you( and you two backing eachother constantly isn't helping either ) As a student I know where I stand in the advertising business, and that isn't very high up. But that doesn't mean I haven't thought things out, did things how I wanted them to be. I wouldn't have posted it if my teachers didn't at all like the result, and they are however, high up.

-its a good idea... poorly executed. But as someone said, the idea has been done before... so I guess youre left with poorly executed to add to your book.

Poorly executed? If this is what I wanted to achieve, then it isn't exactly poorly done in my humble opinion. When you just started out were all your ads as shiny as the front page of this site? You also never mentioned it was done before, and haven't heard anyone about it until just yet. And I'd say that this coincidence isn't exactly a Joe la pompe case. I'm sorry if I seem self righteous, but I don't think it deserves to be this bashed simply because you don't agree on my choice of art direction. Also it seems that to target women, you two are sure that a feminine like art direction is absolutely necessary , that's kinda short sighted. I could play my own account here, and I decided that we, O.B, wanted to go on a sportive route, dito colorscheme. And yes, I am used to changing my ads forever and having ideas bashed all the time when teachers don't like it, but here I just simply don't agree. Thanks for the cynicism adabortion.
Oh boy I'm being a pain.

Kris, I have absolutely no advertising credentials at all. Ive only worked as an art director in broadcast, and won a gold award in a young creative category a few years back. I pursued my broadcast path in lieu of advertising. However I am now focused on advertising completely so take my opinions for what they are worth... I am however always honest and hopefully constructive.

I also have no idea whom adabortion is, we just happen to have the same opinion on this...

maybe explain to me how a stark desaturated isolated ad is conducive to delivering your absurd yet funny proposition? Honestly I understand that it bwas intentional on your behalf, but you have given nothing conducive to suggest any tangible strategy in doing so. We are in a field of visual communication, and every aspect of detail speaks to the audience. Mercedes didnt invent their look by accident, they used these start and desaturated approaches because of the qualities and message it sends. Its a stage that delivers a sales pitch. To use mercedes to sell tampons on a whim without any direct purpose of doing so, should spell out to you in very simple terms that Mercedes != O.B. correct? Why are you sellinhg me tampons the way I want my luxury sports cars sold to me? Honestly.

I probably seem like a giant ass and an arrogant student, however: I'll have a try and see if I can turn this thing around and see how it works out then, but remember, I know it's never an excuse, but I'm just a student. As such I cannot always find the means to execute an ad to the extend I'd like. If I'm honest, I didn't plan for it to look the way it does. But I didn't mind it either, it's important to me in this case that someone looking at my folio gets exited about the idea, and flips on. I wanted to this ad badly, usually I build ads from the ground up, look at some previous ads I have on here, if you could just do that for the sake of forgiving my art direction in this particular case. The idea was important for me to show, I can cope with something in my folio that's basically just about that.
Now back into learning mode.

I knew all of this before you even said it. Which is why my first post said what it said. Anyways, as usual Im only trying to be helpful. I usually don't even reply to ones I see no potential in. The only reason I am pursuing this is not to bash you, its that I see a strong idea, and I see a student that wants to make a great ad instead of letting the ad be great by its own merit. Its easy to forget you're in the business of selling, especially when you start by looking at award annuals and the front page of this site. you get a misdirected image of what is going to sell your product, or you invariably copy someone elses strategy to sell likewise products.

Its good to push boundaries though, and had you really had a strategy behind using your art direction, thats really what seperates an ok ad from a great ad... Maybe this ad is for a clown-school, then the sombre-elegance atmosphere has a purpose... contrast.

Anyhow, goodluck. I hope I was of some productive service through all of this.

Kris, why can't you just hear our opinions and react positively, instead of being so defensive. If you can't take the heat, don't post my friend. I have nothing to do with weighter, I just was telling you my thoughts on your work and apparently some ppeople in this forum have similar views. Anyway, SALAM ALEIKH (peace man)!!!

ellehcimeo... from what you said, my instinct tells me... you're one weird woman!

put it in your book if you are showing it to a male CD..... but seriously, women don't want to think that they are going to get pool water sucked into their crotch when they go swimming... and tampons are supposed to keep liquids inside the body... not absorb chlorinated pool water. personally, i find it gross.... doesn't mean that i like the typical ads for tampons either... just maybe take it out if your showing a female CD, seems that the men like it more than the women from what ive seen on ihaveanidea.org as well.

Hey there Sutho,
you are kidding me right, I dislike your ad, so you absolutely have to say something about what I made. Incredibly transparent, good luck in life there. I'm sure your immense succes in advertising made you who you are today here on the forum. And yes the front page is floaded with empty pools.

while we're at it, let's check all the awards books out there, like, the Fiji one, the Guam one, all 800 in Japan and all of them in the world. that won't take any time at all. and when we're done doing that, le't just sit at home because everything would have already been done.
great. now i can stay home!